Means for automatically regulating the supply of heating medium for scientific and similar apparatus.



' FOR SCIENTIFIC AND SIMILAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED FEB. 27, 1909.

Patented June 8,

witnwuo THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON. 0. c4

earns,

GEORGE S. EDELEN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING TI-IE SUPPLY OF HEATING MEDIUM FORSGIENTIFIG AND SIMILAR APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed February 27, 1909. Serial No. 480,403.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. EDELEN, of Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Meansfor Automatically Regulating the Supply of Heating Medium for Scientlficand Similar Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and tothe figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object the production of an apparatus whichwill safeguard scientific apparatus etc. and more especially that typeof apparatusthrough which a constant flow of water is maintained, eitherfor the purpose of distillation, extraction or the production of auniform temperature in drying ovens etc. Apparatus of this generalcharacter is heated by means of burners or equivalent means for supplying the heating medium and one of the inherent dangers and defects insuch apparatus as heretofore constructed has been due to the lack ofprovision for automatically reducing the supply of heating medium or forentirely cutting the same ofi when the flow of water through theapparatus ceases. Owing to this defect such apparatus is liable to beaccidentally destroyed by a continuance of the heating after the flow ofwater has been stopped and in some instances, particularly in connectionwith distilling apparatus for volatile liquids, serious accldents haveoccurred because of the inflammable nature of the vapors driven off anduncondensed when the flow of water has ceased from any cause.

In the accompanying drawings the present invention has been shown inconnection with an ordinary and well known type of distilling apparatus.A

Figure 1 shows partly in section and partly in elevation a J ewellsdistilling apparatus to which the present invention has been applied forautomatically shutting ofl the supply of gas to the burners whenever theflow of water through the distilling apparatus ceases. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation on an enlarged scale of the automatic controllingmechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, with the top ofthe float chamber removed and the gas supply p1pe in section. Fig. 4 isa detail view showing a modified form of supporting clamp.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

While the distilling apparatus illustrated in Fig. l is well known andits operation generally understood, it may be stated that water isadmitted in a constant stream through the supply pipe A at the bottom ofthe condensin column B, and escapes from the top of sald column througha pipe C from which a branch C leads to the heating chamber D of thestill. The vapors are discharged from the heating chamber D through thecentral downwardly extending duct E wherein they are condensed duringtheir downward passage through the condensing column and are finallydischarged at e in the form of a liquid. The heating chamber D is heatedby the gas flames from burners F and the latter receive their gas supplythrough the gas supply pipe 7.

In accordance with the present invention the gas supply pipe f forms acontinuation of a vertically arranged section of gas pipe Gr having astop cock 9 therein. Connected with said gas supply pipe G and formed asa portion of the same structure, is a vertically disposed water chamberH into the upper end of which the overflow and constantly runningdischarge from the still empties through a pipe connection it h. Twodischarge ducts are provided for the water-chamber H, one of such ductslettered I being preferably of relatively large capacity and locatednear the bottom of the chamber and the other of said ducts lettered Ibeing located near the top of said chamber. The proportionate capacityof said passages is preferably such that the lower discharge I will havea discharge capacity substantially equal to or but very slightly lessthan the normal overflow or discharge adapt the apparatus for use inconnection iwith an overflow of greater or less volume,

but for convenience the two discharge ducts I and I are branches of thesame main discharge pipe I from the lower end of which a waste pipe maylead off to any convenient sink or trap.

A relatively heavy float or counterweight K is located within the waterchamber H and is preferably of such size as to require but a relativelysmall volume of water within the chamber H in order that it may becounterbalanced by the surrounding water sufficiently to permit thevalve to remain open when the chamber is substantially full. For thispurpose the counterbalance K need not, and preferably does not, actuallyfloat in the body of water. The float is connected by a flexibleconnection 71: with a quadrant mounted on and adapted to turn with thestop cock g in the gas pipe, and the relative arrangement of these partsis such that when the float K is elevated the stop cock may be turned onand when the float is at or near the bottom of its range of movement thestop cock will be entirely closed.

As a convenient and preferred arrange ment, the quadrant 71; is providedwith a peripheral groove k in which the flexible connection will pay andfor the protection of said flexible connection a slotted tubularprojection 72? extends upwardly from the top of the water chamber II inposition to surround the connection. The slot is in position for thequadrant 7a" to work through the same, whereby no portion of theflexible connection is exposed nor is it liable to be accidentallydisplaced. For the purpose of observing the level of the water in thewater chamber as an aid in adjusting the discharge cock 2', a gage glassM is located at one side of the chamber and connected therewith at thebottom through a passage or duct m.

In theoperation of the device, the water and gas connections having beenestablished as described and the overflow of water into the chamber IIstarted, the attendant by means of the stop cock 2', regulates thebottom discharge from the chamber until there is a minimum dischargefrom the top of the chamber or the height of the water in the chamber ismaintained at a proper point to counterbalance the float and allow thestop cock 9 to remain open, when the gas is turned on by means of thehandle g provided for the purpose. In order to guard againstirregularity of action in closing the stop cock 9 a yielding retainer isprovided which will offer some resistance to the in auguration of theclosing movement but after said movement has been inaugurated theresistance will be removed and the move ment may continue in a uniformmanner. In the preferred arrangement, the stop cock is provided at oneside with a notch or recess g and the chamber H is provided with anadjustable spring N having its end bent at. a to enter said recess whenthe stop cock is open, the end of said spring, however, rid-- ing upon aconcentric surface at all times save when the stop cock is in its openposition. Vith this arrangement a considerable lowering of the waterlevel in the chamber H may take place before the closing move ment ofthe stop cock is inaugurated, but when said movement is inaugurated itwill continue and the parts may be adjusted so as to secure a sudden andcomplete closing whenever the water level has been lowered to the properpoint.

The apparatus is adapted to be mounted upon wall brackets 0, Figs. 2 and3, when used in connection with stills similarly supported, as shown inFig. 1, although it is preferred to so construct the apparatus that itmay be conveniently mounted either on wall brackets or on a verticalstandard or stand such as is commonly used in laboratories. Toaccomplish this, the chamber .Il may be conveniently provided withprojections P adapted for cooperation with standard clamps or wallbrackets, as the case may be, and, as shown, a connecting stem (Q havingright and left hand threads is provided as the connecting means. One endof said. stein may be screwed into the projection P and the other intothe wall bracket or said connecting stem may be screwed into a standardclamp B, Fig. -l-., and the other end into the projection I. Obviously,two or more projections may be provided to form a stable supportingmeans and various wellknown clamps and brackets may be utilized insteadof the particular devices shown.

\Vhile the device of apparatus of the present invention has a somewhatwide range of utility, it is particularly designed for use in connectionwith apparatus adapted to be heated by gas burners such as extractionapparatus, drying ovens, water baths, Fletcher water heaters, Kjeldahlsdistilling apparatus, etc, in which a constant flow of water ismaintained.

It is obvious that while the stop cock is designed in the form ofapparatus shown, for controlling a supply of gaseous heating medium, thequadrant Z" may be utilized for controlling or shutting oil the supplyof any kind of heating medium which may be used for heating in constantflow apparatus and hence I do not wish to be limited herein to apparatusadapted solely for the control of a gaseous heating medium.

In the operation of the apparatus it will be understood that theconstant 'ater supply provides a constant discharge from the ap paratuswhich is led into the pipe /1. This discharge from the apparatus to beprotected must obviously be equal to or in excess of the dischargecapacity of the discharge duct I in order that the liquid may bemaintained ill) llt)

at a suflicient level to float or support the float K. To regulate theproper discharge from the bottom of the float chamber the stop cock 6 isadjusted until the level of the liquid in the chamber will standsufliciently high to support the float at the desired point. Usually asmall or slight discharge takes place through the discharge duct I whilethe major discharge takes place through the discharge duct I. Under suchcircumstances a diminution or cessation of the flow of'water through theapparatus to be protected will immediately cause a lowering of the waterlevel in the float chamber because the water will escape from saidchamber more rapidly than it flows into the same and consequently thecounterbalance for the float will be removed and the stop cock or othercontrol device for the heating medium will be operated to cut off thesupply of heat and thereby prevent either the destruction of theapparatus to be protected, or the continued volatilization of aninflammable liquid which might produce dangerous conditions were theflame permitted to continue in the presence of said volatilized liquid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for controlling the supply of heating medium to apparatusthrough which a constant flow of water is maintained, embodying a floatchamber into which the constant discharge from said apparatus flows, arelatively heavy float in said chamber, means for turning off the supplyof heating medium connected with and operated by said float to cut oflthe supply of heating medium when the chamber is empty, discharge ductsfor said chamber located at the top and bottom of the same respectively,the discharge pipe at the bottom of said chamber being arranged to havea discharge capacity not in excess of the discharge from the apparatusto which the heating medium is supplied. V

2. In a device for controlling the supply of heating medium to apparatusthrough which a constant flow of liquid is maintained, the combinationwith the heating medium supply conductor having a controller therein forturning ofl the heating medium supply, a chamber into which thedischargefrom the apparatus to be protected flows, discharge ducts for saidchamber located "at the bottom and top of the same respectively, meansfor regulating the discharge capacity of the bottom discharge duct, afloat located in said chamber, and connected with the controller for thesupply of heating medium whereby when said float is elevated the supplyof heating medium may be turned on and when said float is lowered thesupply of heating medium will be automatically cut off.

3. In a device for the purpose described, the combination with theliquid chamber, relatively heavy float located therein, heating mediumsupply conductor independent of the liquid chamber and its supply duct,cut oil for closing and opening said heating medium supply conductor andconnection between said cut off and float, of a liquid supply duct forthe chamber independent of the heating medium supply conductor dischargeducts at bottom and top of said chamber respectively, and a cock forregulating the relative capacities of said discharge ducts.

4. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination with thefloat chamber, waste duct leading thereto and discharge ducts at bottomand top respectively of the chamber, with means for regulating therelative discharge capacities of said ducts, of a float located in thechamber, a gas supply pipe connected with the chamber, a cock in saidgas supply pipe, a quadrant connected with the cock and a flexibleconnection between said quadrant and float, the arrangement being suchthat when the float is elevated the cock may be opened and when thefloat drops to its lower position the cock will be automatically closed.

5. In an apparatus for-the purpose described, the combination with thefloat chamber having supporting brackets at one side thereof, a gassupply pipe rigidly connected with said chamber and having a stop cocktherein provided with a quadrant shaped projection, of a float locatedwithin the chamber, a flexible connection intermediate the float andquadrant shaped projection, a waste discharge pipe entering said chamberand adapted to be connected with the apparatus to be protected, anddischarge ducts at bottom and top of said chamber respectively,substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with thevertically arranged cylindrical float chamber, gas supply pipe connectedrigidly therewith, stop cock in said gas supply pipe above the level ofthe chamber and having a quadrant shaped projection thereon and thefloat located within the chamber and connected with said quadrant shapedprojection, of a supply opening into the upper end of said chamber fromthe apparatus to be protected, discharge ducts leading from said chamberat bottom and top respectively, and a common discharge duct with whichsaid discharge ducts communicate; substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with thefloat chamber, float located therein and supply and discharge ducts forthe liquid into and out of heating medium control device connected saidchamber, of a rotary heating medium control device connected with saidfloat and a yielding retainer for resisting the inauguration of theclosing movement of said control device.

8. In a device for the purpose specified, the combination with the floatchamber having the entrance and discharge ducts for the liquid into andout of said chamber and the float located within said chamber, of thewith said float, a spring pressed retainer cooperating with said controldevice and :1 shoulder with which said retainer cooperates to yieldinglyresist the inauguration of the closing movement of said device.

GEORGE S. EDELEN.

Vitnesses I IIANNIBAL HA'r'roN, ALMA H. EDELEN.

